1. Field
The present invention relates to a standup exercise apparatus that simulates walking, jogging and climbing with arm exercise. More particularly, the present invention relates to an exercise machine having separately supported pedals for the feet and arm exercise coordinated with the motion of the feet. The elliptical path is provided by a pedal in rolling contact with an articulating track.
2. State of the Art
The benefits of regular exercise to improve overall health, appearance and longevity are well documented in the literature. For exercise enthusiasts the search continues for safe apparatus that provides full body exercise for maximum benefit in minimum time.
Recently, a new category of exercise equipment has appeared on the commercial market called elliptical cross trainers. These cross trainers guide the feet along a generally elliptical shaped curve to simulate the motions of jogging and climbing. Generally they are large exercise machines using long cranks to generate a long foot stride. There is a need for an elliptical exercise machine capable of a similar long stride using a crank-rocker linkage to modify a shorter crank.
Standup pedal exercise combined with arm levers attached to the pedals is shown in Kummerlin et al. German Pat. No. 2,919,494 and in Geschwender U.S. Pat. No. 4,786,050. Standup pedal exercise coupled with oscillating swing arms is shown in Miller U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,242,343 and 5,383,829 and in Eschenbach U.S. Pat. No. 5,423,729. All of these exercise machines use pedals having two pedal pivots which are guided by a first circular guide path curve generated by a crank which rotates through one full revolution during a pedal cycle and a second arc guide path curve generated by a rocker link or track.
Eschenbach in U.S. Pat. No. 6,436,007 shows the use of a crank linkage in a front drive elliptical design. Maresh et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 5,997,445 shows elliptical exercise with an adjustable track supporting a roller positioned midway along the foot support member. Eschenbach in U.S. Pat. No. 6,168,552 also shows elliptical exercise with an adjustable track with a roller positioned intermediate the ends of a foot support member with arm exercise added. Eschenbach in U.S. Pat. No. 6,440,042 offers elliptical exercise having adjustable stride and adjustable ellipse orientation.
Stearns et al. in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,629,909 and 6,648,800 show a rotary track with a pedal able to reciprocate upon the track with the same angular movement during ellipse generation. Eschenbach in U.S. Pat. No. 6,024,676 shows a moving track in rollable contact with a pedal that has a different angular movement than the track.
There is a need for a pedal operated exercise machine that can be safely operated in the standup position whereby the arms and legs can be exercised with the feet moving through a generally elliptical movement without excessive pedal articulation.
It is one objective of this invention to provide an elliptical pedal movement with a linkage that provides a long stride with less pedal articulation. Excessive pedal articulation causes ankle stress. Another object of this invention is to use a moving track to provide the pedal lift. Another object of this invention is to provide arm exercise that is coordinated with the pedal movement.